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The origin of Peter Pan and Tigerlilja, a companion novella to the Tales of the Wendy series.

One, cursed by accident. The other, cursed by destiny. But losing everything isn’t always the end. Sometimes, it’s just the beginning.


One of the Hottest New YA Series of 2018 —Goodreads

66 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 13, 2018

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About the author

Erin Michelle Sky

5 books356 followers
Erin Michelle Sky & Steven Brown, Dragon Authors

As a child, Erin fell in love with llamas and with the books of Anne McCaffrey, whose Dragonriders of Pern series inspired her to become a writer. When she finally met Anne McCaffrey at a fantasy convention some two decades later, she wept uncontrollably throughout the entire affair. She does significantly better with llamas.

Steven Brown spent his childhood reading anything he could get his hands on, sharing his favorite stories with his younger brothers and then acting them out, especially if this required sword fighting on horseback. When they ran out of books, he wrote his own, including his brothers as the main characters by sketching original illustrations on magazine clippings.

Together, they are Dragon Authors, writing science fiction and fantasy novels for teens and adults. You can find them online at https://DragonAuthors.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
Profile Image for Peter.
472 reviews2,555 followers
February 15, 2021
Origins
Tigerlija is a highly imaginative story shaping a fantasy telling of the birth of Peter Pan and the background of his mother and father. A fantasy world from Asgard that witnesses the fatal love triangle, with unrequited love, jealousies, and revenge. Taiga was a beautiful woman, loved and adored by all the Gods, but obsessively by Buri, the first man and grandfather to Odin. Despite Buri’s desires of marriage towards Taiga, she loved and married Pan and they had a son – Peter. Yes, thee Peter. Named after me!

The deadly tricks from Buri and the lengths Tiaga and Pan go to save Peter from his dangerous mortal life, and save Tiago’s dominion over the forests, builds an entertaining and compelling story. Peter must go find Tiaga’s powerful sword protected by the Clan, where we meet the warrior Tigerlilja. In a battle with Buri, their adventures bring them to the hidden forest Island protected by the Innisfay and the remaining stronghold Tiaga forged against Buri.
“ 'The innisfay protect the island, keeping it safe,' Amma told Tigerlilja. 'Making sure the land flourishes. For as long as it does, Peter will not age, and Buri will not be able to spread his ice across the world.' ”
The secret Island also protects Peter and with Tinkerbell, his ultra-loyal friend, he calls them family, although he can’t remember anything of family and love, he can’t remember his mother and quickly dispels any thoughts of grief.
“You’ll never find it, never burn it, never touch our neverland! You’ll never catch me, never best me, never kill our Peter Pan!”

The story is more mature than the original Peter Pan story by J.M. Barrie. With the clash of Gods and their harsh actions, ferocious battles, deaths, cruelty, and revengeful hatred, this strikes a darker tone. I enjoyed the story and was a little surprised that the story evolved from the myths of the Norse Gods. The sense of substantial content is striking considering this is only a novella. It does genuinely feel like a full novel. I would recommend this novella and it is a great introduction to the classic story of Peter Pan and the wonderful characters we have come to love.
Profile Image for Ashley Daviau.
1,807 reviews795 followers
January 9, 2019
I want to start this review by stating that I received a free copy of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes or affects my review.

I immediately fell in love with The Wendy when I received a free copy in exchange for a review and as soon as I finished it I was dying for more stories about the fabulous world the authors have created! I’m a huge fan of fairy tale retellings but it’s extremely rare to find one that is truly original amongst the many that there are. The Wendy and Tigerlilja are two of the rare gems that manage to be both completely unique and absolutely fantastic! I really loved that we got to see Peter Pan’s origins in this novella, getting to see how he became how he is was truly fascinating. I also really enjoyed getting to see how Tigerlilja and Peter Pan met and got to Neverland, it really is such a great addition to this series! I had high hopes for this after reading The Wendy and it certainly didn’t disappoint!
Profile Image for Steven Brown.
Author 5 books200 followers
May 20, 2019
One of my favorite books we've ever published. Easily in the top three.
Profile Image for Howard.
1,284 reviews80 followers
August 19, 2023
4.5 Stars for Tigerlilja: Tails of the Wendy, Book 0.5 (audiobook) by Erin Michelle Sky read by Marnye Young.

It was fun to find out Peter Pan’s origin story. This is such an imaginative series.
Profile Image for Steff Fox.
1,193 reviews155 followers
April 24, 2020
| Reader Fox Blog |


The story of Peter Pan as he is from The Wendy really left him presented as a strange enigma, one you couldn’t wait to find out. And the truth of the matter is that his origin story and the explanation behind his existence, his behavior, and how he came to be was always something I found myself both excited to learn and terrified of being disappointed with. Ironically, when I picked up Tigerlilja by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown—a companion novella to the first book in the series—I hadn’t imagined that it would immerse me into the world of Peter’s origin. My fears, it seems, were thoroughly unfounded as this book, while expectedly short, was fantastic.

The novella starts with Peter, as it should since now I cannot imagine a better way for it to have begun. Though the story and it’s connectedness to other myths and legends is not one that I expected and was admittedly somewhat weary of at first, I quickly came to love the path the authors had taken. It produced a barrage of emotions within me, eventually breaking my heart in quite a beautiful and unexpected way.

And then, of course, we meet Tigerlilja. From the start, she is a fascinating character. It does not take long for her to find a place in your heart, winning you over with fierceness and compassion. While I do not love her more than I love Wendy from the first novel, I definitely developed a deep appreciation for the character and can’t wait—hopefully—to see her again in the sequel to The Wendy should she arise. Frankly, I can’t think of any reason why she wouldn’t...but just so.

The novella is short, understandably, and we reach the climax quickly. But despite it’s shortness, you are not left feeling as though you did not get enough even if you do wish immediately for more. It’s well written, exciting, and definitely leaves you with closure once you reach the end. For a great many reasons, I really love this story and I would certainly recommend it to just about everyone I know, especially if they love Peter Pan as much as I do.

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Profile Image for Becky  Reed.
74 reviews12 followers
December 7, 2018
A Fantastic prequel!

Almost as great as The Wendy. I am absolutely loving the strong female leads in both books and looks forward to seeing if the two will meet in the future.

Thank you for tiding me over till 2019 to await The Wendy 2

Profile Image for Milou.
367 reviews6 followers
November 12, 2018
I loved this novella so much!!! I had high hopes for the story after adoring The Wendy, and it didn't disappoint at all. 

This novella tells the origin of Peter Pan, and how he and Tigerlilja end up on Neverland and the introduction of Tinker Bell. Peter is different from the boy we know... he has fangs and big wings. But his character is very true to the original. As is Tigerlilja... I thought she was an Amazing character. She is a very feisty young lady, not scared of a fight and she always has her family's backs. I hope we get to see her a lot still in the rest of the series.

The novella is very well written, not only the fight scenes but the emotional ones as well. Although I have struggled with concentrating on books for a few weeks now, I completely devoured this one. Although short, it tells a full story and is the perfect length for what it wants to be. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of Norse mythology in this. 

Seeing as this is part 0.5 in the series, a companion novella, you can easily read it on its own. It is a wonderful Peter Pan retelling and a great addition to a series which is becoming a favourite very fast.

I received a copy of this novella from the authors in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinions on this book.
Profile Image for Errin Krystal.
Author 6 books14 followers
November 20, 2018
Tigerlilja is a brand new companion novella to The Wendy. (Have you read it? If not you should, I'll wait ...) And it is fantastic!

Its a quick, short read and so, so worth it. 

We are introduced to Tigerlilja as a small child, as her grandmother is telling her the story of how she was chosen for something special. I won't go into too much detail because this is a short book and it would be way too easy to spoil, but lets just sat Tigerlilja is a total badass from a young age. 

The story is told in a way that reminds me of an old folk tale, which in a way, I suppose it is. This tale gives you a bit of backstory, as well as taking you on a life changing adventure for our characters.

Seeing Tigerlilja, who is rather pragmatic about things, interact with the childish likes of Peter Pan was just so much fun.

We learn how Peter Pan and Tink met, how Peter came to be who  he is (I adore his backstory, definitely my favorite part) how Tigerlilja becomes who she is destined to be (she's awesome!) as well as a few other surprises.

I dare you not to reach for the tissues.

Here's hoping Tigerlilja makes an appearance in book two of The Wendy!
Profile Image for T.A..
Author 13 books65 followers
February 7, 2021
I absolutely adore the Tales of the Wendy books by these same authors, and this fits right into their imaginative retelling of Peter Pan with the same charm and creativity I've come to expect. I loved delving into Peter's origins and coming to understand why he is the way he is and how his relationships with characters like Tinker Bell and Tigerlilja came to be. I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator did a great job of capturing the tone of a legend passed down from one storyteller to another over generations, which fits perfectly into the narrative. If you're a fan of this series you definitely want to read this story. It adds some compelling background context to the books themselves and the characters I've come to know and love.
Profile Image for Píaras Cíonnaoíth.
Author 114 books140 followers
October 5, 2020
An entertaining and imaginative story!

Tigerlilja by Erin Michelle Sky and Steven Brown was a captivating read that had me immersed from the beginning. It’s a unique and imaginative fiction with an interwoven backstory on Peter Pan and Tigerlily that incorporates Scandinavian mythology and other faraway lands. The story flowed from scene to scene with ease, and the authors show exceptional ability when it comes to storytelling. There are plenty of witty, emotional and fanciful moments in this page turner that will take the reader on a truly enchanting and fascinating journey! Highly recommended. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Profile Image for Amelia.
257 reviews18 followers
July 21, 2019
This short story is a companion prequel to The Wendy by the same authors, a book which made its way onto my top two favorite indie reads of 2018. This is an unexpected twist on the story of Peter Pan combining Norse and Greek myth to create something all new. You can easily read this before or after The Wendy, but I highly suggest you pick up that novel too!
August 20, 2019
I received a free copy of this short novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my review in any way.



WOW!!! This short story is perfect! When I first read The Wendy it instantly became one of my favorite stories. Reading this short story reminded me why. This short novella tells the origin of Peter Pan with a mixture of Norse and Greek God’s which makes into a remarkable story! It takes you back to the past. Here we get to meet Peter’s parents, Tigerlilja and Tinkerbell as well as other characters! I would also like to add that Tigerlilja is officially one of my favorite character’s and I would die for her. If you love retellings or just Peter Pan in general I HIGHLY suggest you pick this series up now!! Trust me dear reader, you won’t regret it.
Profile Image for Lee.
977 reviews33 followers
November 5, 2019
Even after a couple of days to think this over, I'm still not entirely sure what I think about this.

I do wish that I would have read this before diving into The Wendy as this really explained the lore and has some of it make a lot more sense to me, but overall, this prequel was not incredibly mind blowing or gripping.

The lore behind Peter Pan and how he came to be was not what I was expecting. A mix between Greek and Norse Mythology certainly caught me off guard. It was interesting, but at the same time I feel like I need more from the lore now than I did before, but it was a nice twist on the famous character that we all know. Tigerlija had the spunk that I would expect her too and her background was also interesting, but it wasn't as shocking as Peter's backstory.

There was a lot of action in this novella and in such a short novella I feel like a lot of it was action sequences only. We got the lore and action. I'm a firm believer in having some down moments and the down moments were few here which didn't really allow it to breath as much as I would have liked.

Overall, it was nice to see the lore behind Peter Pan, but this novella fell short for me.
Profile Image for Kate.
100 reviews6 followers
April 6, 2020
I read this prequel after reading The Wendy and The Navigator. I don’t recommend reading it before starting The Wendy series! It’s so much better to let Peter Pan reveal himself in the series than if I had known his origins first. So save this for after you read the series opener, at the very least.
227 reviews5 followers
September 16, 2020
I knew to save this one for a rainy day or a day off as I could not stop once I started. It's like all my favorite mythical heroes all together in one adventure. And that fun wink at the end when you know what's coming next with The Wendy and The Navigator. This is a series of books that I will purchase over and over for birthday gifts, Christmas presents and patrons in my library who can't afford their own books. I adore this series and love sharing good writing and good storytelling with all of my friends and family, and this is definitely one I will share.
Profile Image for Violet Stone.
327 reviews33 followers
June 10, 2020
I usually dislike novellas because they move too quickly and leave out necessary build up. I've already read the other two books in this series prior to this one so perhaps that helped with my already understanding of this book.

But it's well written, engaging, and I'm really looking forward to book 3.
Profile Image for Olivia.
7 reviews3 followers
April 12, 2020
I purchased other books in this series and they've been languishing in my library for months, waiting for me to find the mental fortitude to start a new series. Today I saw this one for sale, bought it, read it within an hour and was delighted.

The initial lore was strange and enticing and makes me wonder how it all interweaves. When we were finally introduced to current plot, and Tigerlilja herself, I loved how vivacious she was, and fairies are just delightful! I'm eager to read more in this series after today and am looking forward to it.

Profile Image for Keith Beasley-Topliffe.
778 reviews5 followers
December 1, 2018
This is a brief novella giving deep background for the novel The Wendy. Deep as in it's hard to guess how long before The Wendy it's set. Centuries? It provides origin stories for Peter Pan (involving Greek and Norse gods) and Tigerlily (or Tigerlilja as she's called here) and a glimpse of Tinkerbell and her lot. Alternatively, it offers one extended battle scene with brief intro and denouement for and aft. It's an exciting, vivid battle. But that's not enough to raise the whole above 3 stars. Still eagerly awaiting the sequel to The Wendy.
26 reviews
February 23, 2020
Loved It

Well-written, self-contained story that explains a lot. As always, character development and unexpected plot lines are the name of the game with these authors! Can't wait to read the second book in The Wendy series after reading this one. To be honest, I haven't enjoyed most depictions of TigerLily in the past, but I loved her here! I'm really looking forward to meeting her through Wendy's eyes.
Profile Image for Vivian.
96 reviews1 follower
June 14, 2020
Peter Pan is as frustrating as always, but somehow always manages to do the right thing in the end. It's just as funny as the main series, and definitely tides me over while I wait for the third book!
Profile Image for Venessa.
Author 12 books20 followers
December 1, 2018
Loved this! Will be posting a review along with The Wendy soon. :)
Profile Image for Dawn cline.
17 reviews1 follower
December 16, 2018
Wow a great retelling

Read in one sitting a prequel for the book the wendy. Draws you right in a great retelling can't wait for more
Profile Image for Larry.
1,667 reviews10 followers
December 12, 2019
A very well written and easy short story to read. I highly recommend this story.
Profile Image for Cristina.
96 reviews39 followers
January 18, 2021
I laughed and I cried, this book was very refreshing and fun to read. Can wait to read The Navigator and see what else happens with Peter.
1,535 reviews
January 21, 2021
Wonderful!

A clever tale to go along with the original version of Peter Pan. Deftly crafted and more than well written, it is a tiny joy. DC
Profile Image for Annie.
266 reviews
March 31, 2021
A different spin on the story of Tiger Lily and Peter before Wendy. Great addition to the story and Peter's backstory. Where he came from and such according to this book. I cried - twice.
Profile Image for Allyx M.
228 reviews4 followers
October 19, 2019
I wish this was an entire book, not just a novella- I loved it so much!
Profile Image for Julia.
590 reviews
October 2, 2020
I just turned 80, but the story of Peter Pan has entranced me since I first saw the Disney movie at 12 years old. So I was curious to see what Erin Michelle Sky would do with the story, and I have to say that I'm really pleased. Tigerlily was one of my favorite characters in the original, and Tigerlilja is just as feisty as her namesake.

This novella is actually a prequel for the series about "The Wendy", and it gives an intriguing backstory for both the girl and Peter Pan. My one regret is that the authors didn't stay with the idea of Native American mythology, which deserves more attention imho. Rather, Peter is framed by Norse mythology, and the story of how his mother Taiga, a dryad, chooses to marry the god Pan rather than the tundra god Buri, explains Peter's last name. Taiga sacrifices herself to make Peter immortal, but the price is that Peter can't remember those he loves, so he stands by his mother's body with no emotional reaction.

Taiga has hidden her magic sword with Tigerlilja's tribe--but of course we have the evil tundra god Buri showing up to destroy the village and get the sword. But the sword calls Peter Pan to the village, and he takes Tigerlilja to his island, formed by his mother to protect him and guarded by the innisfay, Tinker Bell's people. He decides to help fight in the battle for Tigerlilja's village--and takes on Buri.

Tigerlilja's Amma, her grandmother, is dying, but was able to fight in the battle so will go to Valhalla. Again, the Norse world just isn't a smooth fit for me--but Amma takes Tigerlilja's hand and tells her to guard Peter and help him learn how to keep his memories of those he loves. She asks Peter to take the whole village to his island--and Tinker Bell uses her magic flying dust on the ship where they have all sheltered--yet another backstory answered as to how Peter gets his flying ship.

This is a fast-paced read, easily done in one sitting--and it certainly puts a new spin on Peter Pan's origins, as well as Tigerlilja's. The quirk of giving Peter fangs and wings is a strange one that isn't explained clearly--but then The Wendy is the first book in the series, so these questions may be answered there.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews

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